A
WebQuest for 2nd Grade
(Science-Water
habitats)
Designed
by
Elizabeth
Milligan
emilligan@bssd.net
Introduction
| Learners
| Standards
| Process
| Resources
| Evaluation
| Conclusion
| Credits
| Student
Page
Introduction
This lesson was
developed to cover science objectives found in the Missouri
Curriculum Frameworks.
This lesson is to
teach students that there are two major types of water and
that water habitats can be categorized into these two types
of water, saltwater and freshwater. It teaches students that
organisms have parts/characteristics that allow them to
survive in their habitat. Through this lesson students will
also breifly learn about food chains.
Learners
This webquest was
designed for second grade students. It was designed to go
along with a Science unit that I teach titled "A Water
Odyssey." This unit covers many things about water. We learn
about the properties of water, the limited water supply that
we have and discuss ways to conserve water. We also learn
that water can be a home for many animals. That is where
this webquest fits in.
This webquest is
centered around the two different types of water habitats:
saltwater and freshwater. It also focuses on the way that
organisms interact with each other and their environment.
One goal of this webquest is for the students to find 3
animals that can coexist in the water habitat of their
choice.
You could extend
this webquest into Language Arts by having them write a
paper on why those animals can survive in the chosen
environment. Math could even be brought into this webquest
if you had the students figure out what size their tank
would be and then figure out the volume of water needed to
fill it.
Before beginning
this webquest, your students must understand what a habitat
is and that there are four things (water, food, shelter and
space) that are needed in every habitat. Your students must
have a prior knowledge and/or experience with researching a
subject either on the internet or using the library.
Curriculum
Standards
The students will
learn that there are two major types of water and that
there, in turn, are two major types of water habitats. They
will choose either saltwater or freshwater and will learn
about animals that can survive in this type of habitat. The
students will briefly learn about food chains when they
research the foods that the animals in their habitats will
need to survive. The will learn that animals have body parts
that allow them to live in their habitat and that without
this they would not survive.
Science Standards
Addressed
- Organisms have
parts that enable them to live and survive in the
water
- All living
organims interact with each other and their
environment
- All organisms
depend on each other and their environment to live and
grow
These standards were
taken from the Missouri curriculum frameworks. To view this
site, click on the link below.
Missouri
Curriculum Frameworks
In addition to these
standards, the students will be given the opportunity to
show their creativity when designing the final product of
this webquest, the aquarium. This lesson will allow students
to become acquainted with software such as Power Point, Kid
Pix Deluxe or Hyperstudio, if they choose to design their
aquarium using the computer.
The students must
compare the information that they gather and decide which
animals would be most suitable to live together in their
aquarium. Because they are working in a team of four, the
students must cooperate and possibly compromise if they do
not all agree on the 3 animals that they would like to have
coexist there.
Process
- First assign the
students into groups of four students.
- Next the
students will pull up the webquest on a computer station.
They will complete the first goal- learning about the two
types of water habitats- on this site. They will link to
two pages which describe each water habitat in detail.
This information was taken from Discovery
School.
- Next they will
choose a water habitat. The students will need to go to
the library or use the internet to begin researching the
types of animals that can live in this habitat. They need
to choose 3 animals that can survive in the
habitat that they have chosen. Their research needs
to include what part that animal has that allows it to
live in the water habitat that they chose and the food
that it will need to survive. Some animals may require a
specific "home" in the water, such as a cave or plant. Be
sure that they also identify the animal's home.
Click
here for
a printable worksheet that will aide the stuents in their
research.
- Click
here for
links to resources that may be helpful to the students in
their search for animals.
- Finally, once
each group has chosen their habitat and found 3 animals
that can coexist in this habitat, they need to begin to
design their aquarium. Each group needs to design just
one aquarium.
Tips for
Designing Aquariums: The final project in this
webquest is to design an aquarium. Each group's aquarium
needs to include these things:
- Picture of each
of the 3 chosen animals
- Food for the 3
animals
- Plants and/or
physical characteristics that are necessary for the 3
animals to survive. An example of these might be a cave
for the animal to live in.
The students can
design their aquarium using these methods:
- Draw a poster
sized version of the aquarium.
- Use a software
program such as Kid Pix Deluxe, Power Point or Hyper
Studio to create a slide show or image of the aquarium.
(For example, the first slide could describe the habitat-
what type of water it is, the animals that will live
there, the food that they will need to survive, etc.
Following slides could show images of computer drawn
graphics of your aquarium, movies or images found on the
internet of similar habitats or images of their
animals.)
- Make a diorama
or triorama of their aquarium.
- Create a real
life version of their aquarium using a 10 gallon
aquarium.
The students are not
limited to these 4 examples. Allow the students to
brainstorm other ways to design their aquarium. I would
suggest, however, that each group have their method approved
by the teacher before they begin the final
project.
Here are a few links to sites on the internet that may be
helpful to the students in their search for 3 animals that
can coexist in the chosen habitat.
Suggestions
for Choosing Groups:
- Give each
student a number (i.e. if you need five groups give each
student a number between 1 and 5. Group all of the ones
together, twos together, etc.)
- Group students
according to skill level. Put at least one of your more
advanced students in with one of your challenged
students.
- Group students
that you know can work together.
Organizing the
Lesson: This lesson will take more than one period/day
to complete. I would allow 3 to 5 days for completion.
You may even want to extend it to 2 weeks, depending on how
much time you allot for completing the final project.
You may want to
assign the research part of the lesson as homework. However
allow some time at school for research for those students
who are unable to complete this task at home.
If you will be
allowing your students to create their aquarium on the
computer you will want to familiarize yourself with the
software that they will be using. Kid Pix Deluxe, Power
Point and Hyperstudio are fairly easy to use; however, be
sure you try them before they do to familiarize yourself
with all of the options.
Variations
One variation of
this lesson is to choose only one method for designing the
aquarium. This is beneficial if you do not have access to a
computer lab or the software mentioned.
Resources
Needed
- Computer
lab
- Resources from
the library (i.e. encyclopedias, books about freshwater
and saltwater fish)
- Power Point, Kid
Pix Deluxe or Hyperstudio software (one copy per
group)
- Video or audio
materials about the ocean, lakes, rivers and their
inhabitants
- Worksheet from
this webquest. Click
here to
view this page.
The resource links
that are provided here are ones that relate to freshwater
and saltwater fish. These sites include the names and
information about fish found in each of these habitats. If
the students are unable to find enough information on these
sites, I have also included "kid friendly" search engines.
Students can search for a specific fish that they would like
to learn about. If they do not have any fish in mind, here
are some recommended categories to search: freshwater fish,
saltwater fish, aquariums, and habitats.
It would be very
beneficial to have aides or parents that could assist you in
the computer lab when creating aquariums if you choose to
use this method for the final project. You might also
arrange a guest visit from an employee of your local zoo
that could describe in detail the process of adding an
aquarium at the zoo. If this cannot be arranged, plan a
field trip to the zoo and visit the aquarium and possibly
meet with someone in charge of the aquarium.
Evaluation
Each student will be
given an oral exam at the end of this project. The oral exam
will cover the first two objectives listed below. This will
be an individual grade and will count for for 40% of the
final grade. The final project of designing an aquarium will
be a group grade and will count for 60% of the final
grade.
|
|
Beginning
1
|
Developing
2
|
Accomplished
3
|
Exemplary
4
|
Score
|
|
The
student will classify water habitats into two main
groups:
- Fresh
water
- Salt
water
|
The
student can state that water can be a habitat for
animals.
|
The
student can name one type of water habitat and give
an example.
|
The
student can name the two types of water habitats
and give examples of each.
|
The
student identifies both water habitats and explains
the difference between the two.
|
Multiply score times 1 for final
score.
|
|
The
student will be able to list 3 animals that live in
the water habitat that they have chosen and give
information about each animal (food, shelter and
part of the body that enables them to live in this
environment).
.
|
The
student can list 3 animals that live in the chosen
water habitat.
|
The
student can list 3 animals that live in the chosen
water habitat and identify each animal's
food.
|
The student can list 3 animals that live in the
chosen water habitat and can identify each animal's
food and home, other than water if applicable.
|
The
student can list 3 animals that live in the chosen
habitat and describe the home, food and physical
characteristics of the animal that enables it to
live in this environment.
|
Multiply score times 9 for final
score.
|
|
The
student will design an aquarium that includes an
appropriate habitat for 3 animals, including a
source of food for each.
|
The
student has designed an aquarium using a teacher
approved method.
|
The
student has designed an aquarium that is
appropriate for the 3 animals he/she chose using a
teacher approved method.
|
The
student has designed an aquarium that is
appropriate for the 3 animals he/she chose using a
teacher approved method. The aquarium includes a
source of food for each animal.
|
The
student has designed an aquarium that is
appropriate for the 3 animals he/she chose. The
aquarium includes any necessary physical
characteristics and food for the
animals.
|
Multiply score times 15 for final
score.
|
You may want to
seperate the second objective into 4 objectives:
- identifying 3
animals that live in the environment
- identifying the
the animals' food
- identifying the
animals' shelter
- identifying the
part that enables the animals to live in the
water
If you leave this as
one objective be sure that you test each of the four parts
of the objective during the oral exam. You may choose to
give a written exam in place of the oral exam.
Conclusion
This webquest
focuses on objectives found in the Missouri curriculum
frameworks. These objectives are recommended to be mastered
by the end of 2nd grade.
This lesson is
important, also, because it teaches students about the
environments around them. In learning about animals'
habitats, it is hopeful that students will learn to respect
these habitats. Students must recognize that our behavior
affects the lives of other living things around us.
It is also important
that students learn that organisms have parts that enable
them to live in certain regions of the Earth. Learning about
other organisms will cause them to inquire about their own
body systems and how they work. A related activity could be
to make a Venn diagram that shows the similarities and
differences between fish and human body systems.
I hope that you
enjoy this webquest as much as I have enjoyed creating
it. If you have any questions, please feel free to email
me.
Credits
& References
Thank you to the
Discovery School site for the awesome information on
freshwater and saltwater habitats.
Last
updated on August 15, 1999.
Based
on a template from The
WebQuest Page
|
